Electric vehicle battery components company plans $60M Windsor expansion

Manufacturing capacity in southwestern Ontario is set to get a boost, with four companies in the automotive and food processing sectors promising to invest $125 million in the region and create jobs.

The most significant investment comes from a subsidiary of South Korea-based DSEV, DS Actimo Canada Inc. It's investing $60 million to build a new 107,000 square-foot facility in Windsor, Ont., to manufacture components for electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

The announcement was made Thursday at the company's plant in Windsor by Ontario's Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Vic Fedeli, alongside representatives from the companies and the provincial government. 

Ontario is providing the four companies with nearly $12 million in investments through the province's Regional Development Program.

The DS Actimo facility will be the company's first in North America and is set to employ 96 people when it opens in September.

DS Actimo Canada is receiving a $5-million loan from the provincial government to help produce battery cell module cases and wiring components for NextStar Energy Inc.'s $5 billion EV battery manufacturing plant, which is set to begin production later this year.

The other three companies, Highbury Canco Corp., Integrity Tool & Mold Inc., and Kautex Textron, have also committed to expansion projects.

Overall, the investments are expected to create 153 new jobs in the Windsor and Leamington areas.

Highbury Canco Corp. is investing over $26.5 million to modernize its facility and increase both processing and warehouse capacity.

Fedeli says the investments will help bring "stability and growth" to the automotive and food-processing industries as well make the province more competitive as a destination for multinational corporations.

Fedeli called southern Ontario the "manufacturing heartland" of Canada and said the new investments continue the "long tradition of manufacturing excellence in the region."

"As we position Ontario as one of the best jurisdictions in the world for companies to invest and grow, our government is proud to support local businesses as they expand and create new jobs in communities across the province." Fedeli said in a press release.

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At the press conference, Fedeli heaped praise on Andrew Dowie, the MPP for Windsor—Tecumseh, and his parliamentary secretary, for doing "a remarkable job" negotiating and making pitches to companies.

Dowie addressed the difficulties and up-and-down nature of the EV industry's fortunes, like Tesla's recent struggles, but noted that the continued interest and investment from other international companies is encouraging.

He added that Windsor is at the forefront of innovation and technology in the industry, which fosters resilience and will benefit workers and the EV sector as a whole.

DS Actimo Canada's Global CFO, Euiyeoul Song, shared Fedeli's concerns about the health of the automotive industry and acknowledged Tesla's recent struggles but said he believes "our future is bright."

Fedeli pointed out that in the last three years, Ontario's attracted more than $28 billion worth of EV business and he hinted that there could be more investments this year. 

"I would say the best indicator for us is that the amount of companies that want to invest in Ontario hasn't diminished."